Combination packer



Nov. 8, 19318. L. A. LAYNE l COMBINATION PAGKBR INVENTOR. L A LAYNa BY Lg/A2 QM Filed May 6. 1935 Illlilllllllllllllr llllllllllllllllllllll 'hun ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

The invention relates to a combination ordouble seal packer of the/type to be set in wells where it is particularly desired to insure that a. pressure seal will be obtained.

5 It is the usual practice to set a packer in wells where it is desired to form a seal either between two concentric strings of pipe or between a string of pipe and the earth formation. constituting the wall of the well bore. While the present invention may be used inside of a pipe or in the well bore, it is more particularly adapted for forming a seal inside of a pipe which is already in position in the well bore.

Packers of the present type are in some instances subjected to enormous pressures which occur in the earths formation from below, and in some instances to heavy pressures from the column of liquid in deep wells which occurs above the packer. It is, therefore, necessary that the packer be securely set and rmly anchored so that there can be no leakage.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a packer which can be set when a predetermined pressure is applied thereto in combination with a secondary packing which cannot be set until after the first packing has been set and a predetermined pressure applied to the rst packer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a double seal packer wherein a fabric packing is rst set and a metallic packing is then set as an additional safeguard to form a double seal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a double seal packer wherein the uppermost portion of the packing cannot be set until after the lowermost portion of the packer has been set.

It is also an object of the invention to lower and set two packers in a well with a single setting tool.

Another object is to set a double packer with a single setting tool wherein the first packing can be set only after the release of the tool, and the second packing only after the first packing is set.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fabric packing which can be set by means of a setting sleeve and which setting sleeve is thereafter adapted to be released from the head of the packer in order to permit a slight movement to set a second packing in order to form a double seal.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a'double packer wherein the top of the lowermost packing serves as a support for the bottom of the uppermost packing, with a releasing means for a setting device, S0 that the lowermost packing will be set first and then the uppermost packing set only after a predetermined compression has been applied to the lower packing.

Other and further objects of the invention will be readily apparent when the following description is considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a central Vertical section of the combination packer with the parts in the position in which they are lowered into the well bore.

Fig. 2 shows a central vertical sectional view with the setting tool released and after compression has been applied to the lowermost packing.

Fig. 3 shows the last step of setting the packer wherein the setting sleeve has been released from the top of the lower packing and pressure applied to set the upper packing.

In Fig. 1 a casing 2 has been illustrated as representing the wall or bore in which the combination packer is to be set. It is to be understood, however, that this may represent the formation without any casing present.

The pipe 3 represents the upper end of any string of pipe around which it is desired to form a seal. In the usual practice, however, the casing 2 is set in position just above the producing formation and the screen portion which is to lter out the sand is lowered into position through the casing 2 and into the open hole below the lower end of the casing. The upper end of this screen has connected thereto a pipe such as 3 which is usually known as the tubing or liner. It is the usual practice to position the lower end of the screen or liner on the bottom of the well and the pipe 3 may be considered as so located for the purpose of this description. The packer is set around the top of the liner to form a seal with the casing in the particular construction here shown. It is to be understood, however, that the double seal packer here shown may be set at any desired location independent of the screen or other specific structure. The pipe 5 is suitably connected to the line 3 and may be designated as the packer support and has thereon a coupling or enlarged member 6 which is arranged to serve as a base for the packing l.

The packing 1 in this instance has been shown as canvas or fabric packing layers which have been suitably positioned about the support pipe 5 and which are held in position by wrappings of wire 8. This packing may be of any desiredl length, depending upon the expansion which is required in order to provide a seal. l

In event the screen used is of the full hole type attached to the lower end of the casing 2, then the pipe3 would merely act as a support for the packers and could be perforated to allow the inflow of oil.

In order that pressure may be applied to the upper end of this packing 1 in order to compress. it or expand it to the positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3. a. head I is positioned thereon which is in theA form of an annular ring with the downwardly extending skirt thereon. The upper end of the packing is xed to this head in the same manner it is iixed on the support above the couplingl. This head I0 is detachably connected to a setting sleeve I4 which is slidably mounted on the support 5. This sleeve I4 extends downwardly inside of the head Il! and terminates in a rather sharp lower edge I underneath the layers of fabric of the packing 1.

'I'his setting sleeve I4 extends above the head I0 a considerable distance and is provided with a shoulder I1. Between this shoulder I1 and the head I0 is a second packing I8 which may he in the form of a plurality of rings I9 of sft metal. Any other type of packing may be located at dilerent points, however. In order that pressure may be applied to these two packings in.

order to expand them to the position shown in Fig. 3, a setting tool 25 has been provided. This particular type of tool is illustrated because olf its simplicity of operation. This particular tool is disclosed in detail in Patent No. 1,870,779, dated August 9, 1932. This tool embodies a bushing 3|) which is threaded to a setting stem 3| by the threads 32. The bushing 30 is pinned to a packer barrel 33 in such a manner that it may be released vby upward movement of the bushing to shear the pin 38. A setting tool barrel 34 is also connected to the bushing 30 and has its lower end slotted and formed with spring fingers 35. These fingers 35 are externally threaded at 316 to be received in the upper threaded end of the support 5.

As seen in Fig. 1 a retainer bushing 31 has been moved upwardly inside of the fingers 35 to press them securely into the threads 36. The weight of the strainer, liner, and packer is thus carried on the setting stem 3| because of this connection with the retainer bushing 31 which is effected because of the extracting collar 39 which is fixed on the lower end of the stem 3|. Ratchet teeth 40 are provided on the lower end of the packer barrel 33 and are adapted to engage the ratchet teeth 4I formed on the outer periphery of the upper end of the support pipe 5. When the de- Vice has been set these teeth prevent the packings from releasing and insure that they will be retained in expanded position.

In operation the parts will be assembled as shown in Fig. l with the entire device supported by the threads 32 and the retaining bushing 31'. When those parts below the liner 3 come in contact with a suitable support structure further downward movement of the liner is impossible, and it is at this elevation that the packings are to be set.

In order to set the packings the stem 3| will be rotated to release the threads 32. When this occurs the stem 3| can telescope downwardly through the bushing 30 until the shoulder 44| on the setting stem engages the upper end of the retaining bushing 31. The further downward movement of the stem moves the retainer bushing from its position within the ngers- 35 and causes it to drop out of its locking position. 'Ihe resilient fingers 35 then move inwardly to release their .hold on the support pipe 5 so that they assume the position shown in Fig. 2.

Further downward movement of the setting stem 3| causes the coupling 45 on this stem to engage against the bushing 30 so that a positive pressure may be applied to the packer barrel 33. Enough of the weight of the string of pipe 3| is thus applied to the setting tool and the packer barrel 33 to cause it to move downwardly and to have the teeth 40 click over the teeth 4|. The pressure and movement of the packer barrel 33 is applied to the shoulder I1 to cause the setting sleeve I4 to move downwardly to the Fig. 2 position. In view of the fact that the head I0 of the lower packing is pinned by the shear pins I6 or otherwise releasably connected to the setting sleeve I4,l the head I0 is also caused to move downwardly with the setting sleeve and no compression whatever is applied to the upper packing I8 because the force is all absorbed by the setting sleeve I4 and applied to the head I0 of the lower packing. The coupling 6 is, of course, restrained against downward movement because the line 3 is upon some obstruction such as the bottom of the well bore. In this manner the packing 1 will be expanded to the Fig. 2 position.

It is intended that the releasable connectionI I6 may be released in any desired manner but that when shear pins are provided they will be so designed as to shear when a pressure in excess of that to be applied to the lower packing is exerted thereon. In other words, it is intended that these pins I6 will withstand a load at least equal to that which it is desired to apply in eX- panding the packing 1.

When the packing 1 is expanded and additional weight is applied to the setting tool by allowing more of the weight of the string of pipe 3| to be applied, the pins I6 will be sheared. 'I'he shearing of these pins I6 or the release of the setting sleeve I4 from the head Ill will allow the setting sleeve to slide downwardly upon the support 5 and permit the shoulder I1 to approach the head I0. This movement tends to expand the packing I8 until it assumes the position shown in Fig. 3. While a soft metal packing such as a lead packing has been shown as the upper packing in this combination, it is to be understood that any desired packing may be provided as conditions require. Either packing may be metal or fabric as desired, because the particular material of which the packing is constructed forms no part of the present invention.

The combination packer here described is of particular advantage because the lower packing may be set and the upper packing set subsequently thereto in order to form an additional and safety seal above the iirst packing.

When the packing I8 has been set in the position shown in Fig. 3, it is only necessary that the operator pull upwardly on the setting stem 3| in order to release the setting tool. This upward movement raises the retaining bushing 31 so that it encloses the lower ends of the ngers 35 and the extracting collar 39 serves as a stop for the re1- ative upward movement of the setting stem beyond this point. Any further force applied to the setting stem is transmitted through the iingers 35 and the bushing 30 to effect the shearing of the pin 38. The packer barrel 33 cannot move upwardly because of the ratchet teeth 40 so that the pin 38 will be sheared and the setting tool removed from the well leaving the packer in perfect condition and held against release by the ratchet teeth 40. A

'Ihe particular combination of a fabric and metal packings has been found to be exceptionally satisfactory because an adequate seal can be obtained by the fabric packing and the soft metal packing then seated above it to form a safety seal. With the present combination the desired pressure can be applied to the lower packing and then the upper packing set in a position on top of the lower packing, after the lower packing has been set. In this arrangement there is no movement of the metal packing required after it has been set so that a seal is assured whereas with some types of metal packings heretofore used after the setting of the metal any movement incident to setting additional packings would cause a disturbance of the metal packing which had been first set, whereas with the present construction the metal packing may be set last of all and a safety seal in this manner assured.

While an arrangement for applying pressure to set the packing from above has been illustrated an arrangement where the set is effected by an upward pull may be used.

What is claimed is:

1. A packing of the character described including a screen and liner support, a fabric packing thereon, a metallic packing also on said support and independent of said fabric, and means to apply pressure to said packings to telescope them along said support to expanded position.

2. A packing of the character described including a hollow support, a fabric packing thereon, a metallic packing also on said support above said fabric, means to apply pressure to said packings to telescope them along said support to expanded position, and additional means whereby the metallic packing may be set only after the fabric has set.

3. A double seal packing including a pipe, a packing mounted thereon, a head above said packing, a second packing carried by Said head and abutting said first packing, and means to apply pressure to said head to set said packings.

4. A packing of the character described including a support, a packing thereon, a setting sleeve therefor to apply pressure to set the packing, shear pins connecting said sleeve and packing and adapted to shear when the pressure required to set said packing is exceeded, and a second packing disposed upon said first packing and adapted to be set only after the shearing of said pins.

5. A double seal packing including a support, a fabric packing thereon, a setting sleeve pinned to the top of said packing, a soft metal packing mounted on said sleeve above said fabric packing, a shoulder on said sleeve above said metal packing, and means to apply pressure to said sleeve whereby it will telescope on said support to set said fabric packing, and to further apply pressure to shear the sleeve from the pinned top of the fabric packing, to telescope the sleeve into the fabric packing and set the metal packing.

6. A double seal packing including lower and upper packings, said upper packing being mounted on the top of said lower packing, a setting sleeve to which the top of said lower packing is pinned, a shoulder on said sleeve to confine the top of said upper packing, and means to move said sleeve downwardly to set said lower packing, shear the pinned connection and set said upper packing.

7. In a `packing for wells, a sleeve, a packing having its top releasably connected to said sleeve, means to hold the base of said packing stationary, and means to move said sleeve downwardly relative to said packing to expand the packing, said connection being adapted to shear at a predetermined pressure, and a second packing on said first packing to be set after shearing of said connection.

8. In a packer for wells, a sleeve, a packing having its top connected to said sleeve, means to hold the base of said packing stationary, means to move said sleeve downwardly relative to said packing to expand the packing, said connection being adapted to shear at a predetermined pressure, in excess of that required to set the packer, and a second packing disposed on said sleeve to be set after shearing of said connection.

9. In a double seal packer a packer support, a packing therein, a sleeve to set said packing, a second packing carried by and to be set by said sleeve upon telescoping of said sleeve into said first packing.

10. A lead seal packer, a hollow support therefor including a fabric packing, and means to set said lead packing around the outside of said support after said fabric packing has been set.

11. A double seal packer including lower and upper packings, said upper packing being mounted on the top of said lower packing, a setting sleeve to which the top of said lower packing is connected, a shoulder on said sleeve to confine the top of said upper packing, and means to move Said sleeve downwardly to set said lower packing, release the connection and set said upper packing.

12. In a packer for wells, a. sleeve, a packing having its top connected to said sleeve, means to hold the base of said packing stationary, means to move said sleeve downwardly relative to said packing to expand the packer, said connection adapted to release at a predetermined pressure, and a second packingv to be set by continued movement of said sleeve after such release.

13. A well packer including a support, a packing member anchored at its base to said support, a second packing seated on said rst packing, a sleeve disposed inside of said second packing and the top of said first packing, releasable means connecting said sleeve and one of said packings, and means to apply pressure to said sleeve to telescope said first packing, release said means, and

then telescope said second packing.

14. A well packer including a support, a packing member anchored at its base to said support, a second packing of different composition than said first packing but seated on said first packing, a sleeve disposed inside of said second packing and the top of said first packing, releasable means connecting said sleeve and first packing, and means to apply pressure to said sleeve to telescope said first packing, release said means, and then telescope said second packing.

15. In a packer assembly a setting sleeve including upper and lower portions, one of said portions being of larger diameter, whereby a shoulder is formed, said shoulder being adapted to receive the packer barrel on the inside and the packing on the outside.

LESLIE A. LAYNE. 

